Something's fishy.

The Essex Soapbox ^ | February 17, 2004 | Mike Morrison

[Bubba_Leroy]

I've long thought that John Kerry's war record was phoney. We talked about it when you were here. It's mainly been instinct because, as you know, nobody who claims to have seen the action he does would so shamelessly flaunt it for political gain.

I was in the Delta shortly after he left. I know that area well. I know the operations he was involved in well. I know the tactics and the doctrine used. I know the equipment. Although I was attached to CTF-116 (PBRs) I spent a fair amount of time with CTF-115 (swift boats), Kerry's command.

Here are my problems and suspicions:

(1) Kerry was in-country less than four months and collected, a Bronze Star, a Silver Star and three purple hearts. I never heard of anybody with any outfit I worked with (including SEAL One, the Sea Wolves, Riverines and the River Patrol Force) collecting that much hardware so fast, and for such pedestrian actions. The Swifts did a commendable job. But that duty wasn't the worst you could draw. They operated only along the coast and in the major rivers (Bassac and Mekong). The rough stuff in the hot areas was mainly handled by the smaller, faster PBRs. Fishy.

(2) Three Purple Hearts but no limp.. All injuries so minor that no time lost from duty. Amazing luck. Or he was putting himself in for medals every time he bumped his head on the wheel house hatch? Combat on the boats was almost always at close range. You didn't have minor wounds. At least not often. Not three times in a row. Then he used the three purple hearts to request a trip home eight months before the end of his tour.. Fishy.

(3) The details of the event for which he was given the Silver Star make no sense at all. Supposedly, a B-40 (rocket propelled grenade) was fired at the boat and missed. Charlie jumps up with the launcher in his hand, the bow gunner knocks him down with the twin .50 (caliber machine guns), Kerry beaches the boat, jumps off, shoots Charlie, and retrieves the launcher. If true, he did everything wrong. (a) Standard procedure when you took rocket fire was to put your stern to the action and go (away) balls to the wall. A B-40 has the ballistic integrity of a Frisbee after about 25 yards, so you put 50 yards or so between you and the beach and begin raking it with your .50's. (b) Did you ever see anybody get knocked down with a .50 caliber round and get up? The guy was dead or dying. The rocket launcher was empty. There was no reason to go after him (except if you knew he was no danger to you - just flopping around in the dust during his last few seconds on earth, and you wanted some derring-do in your after-action report). And we didn't shoot wounded people. We had rules against that, too. (c) Kerry got off the boat. This was a major breach of standing procedures. Nobody on a boat crew ever got off a boat in a hot area. EVER! The reason was simple. If you had somebody on the beach your boat was defenseless. It couldn't run and it couldn't return fire. It was stupid and it put his crew in danger. He should have been relieved and reprimanded. I never heard of any boat crewman ever leaving a boat during or after a firefight.

Something is very fishy.

Here we have a JFK wannabe who is hardly in Vietnam long enough to get a good tan, collects medals faster than Audie Murphy in a job where lots of medals weren't common, gets sent home eight months early, requests separation from active duty a few months after that so he can run for Congress, finds out war heros don't sell well in Massachusetts in 1970 so reinvents himself as Jane Fonda, throws his ribbons in the dirt with the cameras running to jump start his political career, gets Stillborn Pell to invite him to address Congress and Bobby Kennedy's speechwriter to do the heavy lifting, winds up in the Senate himself a few years later, votes against every major defense bill, says the CIA is irrelevant after the Wall (Berlin) came down, votes against the Gulf War, a big mistake since that turned out well, decides not to make the same mistake twice so votes for invading Iraq, but oops, that didn't turn out so well so he now says he really didn't mean for Bush to go to war when he voted to allow him to go to war.

I'm real glad you or I never had this guy covering out flanks in Vietnam. I sure don't want him as Commander in Chief. I hope that somebody from CTF-115 shows up with some documented facts challenging Kerry's Vietnam record.

I know in my gut it's wildly inflated. And fishy.

This e-mail was written by Mike Morrison, who won a bronze star in Vietnam and who is now retired, but wrote speeches for Lee Iacocca for many years. It was sent to his brother Ed, who sent it to one of our readers who follows such matters. -Ed.-

[Bobbisox]

Bump! My husband also says he can't believe Kerry spent so little time in Vietnam and received so many medals. Someone out there get the Vets together and find out the truth for all of us.

[sarasmom]

Most veterans are Republicans, or Independents.
Go figure....
I am scratching my head at why you would think Veterans have our own separate political party or platform.

[js1138]

I am scratching my head at why you would think Veterans have our own separate political party or platform.

Where did I say that? You could at least spend a fraction of a second trying to read what I said in a favorable light. I am not your enemy.

Veterans acting on their own initiative are a credible political force. Bush, or Republican leaders calling for Kerry's records is not a useful political action.

[Lancey Howard]

bttt

[A Citizen Reporter]

"Bush, or Republican leaders calling for Kerry's records is not a useful political action."

And they haven't. You are reading a political forum which is the opinion of one among several thousand of your fellow citizens.

[MEG33]

I know.

[MEG33]

Kerry must have a dark mind to ask veterans for their support..agreed.

[js1138]

What is your point? There are FReepers calling for Bush to go on the offensive, and there are demands being made for Kerry to make his military records public

Bush cannot make this demand.

No official of the Republican party can make this demand.

It is unlikely that anyon in the regular press will make this demand.

No on is going to reveal the records because Newsmax or FR demands it.

The only people who can credibly make this demand are Veitnam vets acting on their own as private citizens, or as an organization of vets.

[sarasmom]

Perhaps I do not understand your seeming partitioning of miltary Veterans as a separate,distinctive, minority group of Republicans.
The wording of your post just struck me as very odd.
Struck me as relegating military Veterans to a special interest, sub-group category, not really full registered Republicans.
Are you a former Democrat?

[js1138]

Jeeze, what do I have to say? It would be political suicide for the republicans to initiate this as an issue. By that I mean Bush or members of the RNC. How is that not clear? I've said it twelve time in twelve different ways. What is the problem?

If you disagree with this analysis, just say so. Just say that bush should openly challenge Kerry's military record, or Rove should go on record demanding Kerry's military record.

[dixiechick2000]

You need to read his posts, again.

"Veterans acting on their own initiative are a credible political force."

He's right. Whatever demand for Kerry's records, and for an accounting of his medals, Viet Nam vets need to do it. He said nothing like...

"...relegating military Veterans to a special interest, sub-group category, not really full registered Republicans."

[js1138]

Thank you. Maybe Ann Coulter will take this on. But it would be more effective coming from vets as vets, not as members of Bush's campaign.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Oh gee, now Ann Coulter can take this issue, but according to you NOT any Republicans, only Vietnam vets. Sure. I think I'll take my political advice elsewhere, if you don't mind.

[js1138]

I'm really tired of your willful misinterpretation of what I'm saying. But mark my word, the Republican political professionals will not push tis issue. You as a citizen may do whatever you wish. And should.

[lainde]

LATE BUMP!!!! Thanks so much! This story has really been bothering me. I'm glad someone who was there thinks it stinks!

[lainde]

Thanks Howlin!

[MissAmericanPie]

This has legs.

[U S Army EOD]

The Jap destroyer captain did see Kennedy's boat at the last minute. The question is why didn't Kennedy see the destroyer. You can actually "feel" a larger ship through your hull. Who was on watch?

[U S Army EOD]

Well I only recommended my men for awards and never anything for myself. Of course since I was there doing the same thing I was hoping somebody would notice and put two and two together.

[sarasmom]

Did you read MY post?

You both sound like poster children for former Democrats, current RINOs.
As I have already stated, military Veterans are not a designated minority sub-set of the Republican party.
DUH
If your idea of segmenting the GOP into situational usefull special interest groups is the current definition of a registered Republican voter, count me out.
That stinks to high heaven of a Democrat mentallity.